FAIRFAX, VA – A Brazilian au pair received the maximum 10-year prison sentence Friday for her role in a calculated scheme that resulted in the deaths of her employer’s wife and an innocent man who was lured to their home.
Juliana Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the February 2023 killing of Joseph Ryan, admitting she fatally shot him while her employer-turned-lover Brendan Banfield simultaneously stabbed his wife Christine to death in their bedroom.
Fairfax Chief Circuit Court Judge Penney S. Azcarate rejected prosecutors’ recommendation for immediate release, instead delivering the harshest possible sentence under the plea agreement. “Your actions were deliberate, self-serving, and demonstrated a profound disregard for human life,” Azcarate told Magalhães during sentencing.
The judge characterized the case as “an intentional and calculated level of violence that is the most serious manslaughter scenario that this court has ever seen.” Azcarate added that Magalhães deserved “nothing other than incarceration and a life of reflection” for her crimes.
According to testimony from Banfield’s recent murder trial, the pair created a fake social media account using Christine Banfield’s identity on a platform for sexual encounters. Ryan, who had no connection to the conspirators, responded to their posts and agreed to meet at the Banfield home.
Magalhães testified that after taking the couple’s 4-year-old child to the basement for safety, she and Banfield entered the bedroom where the planned murders occurred. She admitted to firing the fatal shot that killed Ryan after Banfield’s initial shot failed to finish him.
The former au pair remained silent for over a year following the murders, only cooperating with authorities as her own trial date approached. Her testimony proved crucial in securing Banfield’s conviction on two counts of aggravated murder earlier this month.
Banfield, a former IRS agent, was also found guilty of child endangerment and firearm charges. Virginia’s aggravated murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence without parole. He faces sentencing on May 8.
Ryan’s mother, Dierdre Fisher, delivered a victim impact statement asking the court to recognize that her son “was someone worthy of dignity and life who didn’t deserve to be used and thrown away.” Christine Banfield’s family prepared statements but could not speak since Magalhães was only charged in Ryan’s death.
Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano said Magalhães’ cooperation helped the jury “understand the convoluted double-murder plot orchestrated by Brendan Banfield,” though he acknowledged that “no prison sentence can address the harm created by her actions.”
